Houston, TX — The Houston Texans suffered a major setback on Sunday as starting safety M.J. Stewart was carted off the field with a serious leg injury during the second quarter of their matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The injury occurred with 7:59 left in the first half on a rushing play by Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr.. As the play developed, Jaguars wide receiver Tim Patrick delivered a block on Stewart, catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground. Stewart landed awkwardly on his back and immediately appeared to be in pain, clutching his left knee.
Texans medical staff rushed to his aid and soon placed his leg in a cast before loading him onto the cart. He was later ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Stewart stepped into the starting role earlier this season after Houston released C.J. Gardner-Johnson following an 0–3 start. Gardner-Johnson, a key offseason addition, struggled to find his rhythm in head coach DeMeco Ryans’ defensive system.
Since taking over, Stewart has helped anchor a defense that ranked first in the NFL in scoring defense (15.1 points per game) entering Week 10. His injury now poses a major concern for a Texans team that has been building momentum in recent weeks.
